


Something More

by KrillinFan



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: 18 being a little tsun, Awkward Hookups, Confession, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Krillin being dense, Romance, with a dash of dere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 03:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14511390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrillinFan/pseuds/KrillinFan
Summary: 18 cherishes her relationship with Krillin. She really does. But there comes a time when that's just not enough and she realizes she needs something more.





	Something More

'This is so stupid. I shouldn't be the nervous one here.'

18 paced back and forth on the beach in front of the Kame house, absentmindedly tugging at the pearl necklace she wore. It was a calm evening. The sun hung low in the horizon as a gentle ocean breeze swept by, and yet the blonde cyborg felt as if there was a storm raging in her chest as she paced, left arm across her chest, supporting the right currently rolling the smooth pearls between her fingers, lost in thought about a certain roommate who resided right across the hall from her.

Krillin had been a good friend to her, she'd told him as much many times. Always putting her needs before his wants, willing to spend time with her and watch a movie, play video games, and here she smirked at the memory of his first experience dealing with her raging over losing, dropping the control when she'd demanded a rematch, finger in his face, breathing intensely. He'd looked so nervous and unsure, yet still he'd consented, and kept keeping her company even after.

Her smirk faded into a thoughtful frown. Even after that, after she'd lose her temper with him and snap sometimes, even after... she cringed slightly, remembering that black eye she'd given him when he walked in on her when he heard her crying in her room one night. Even after she'd hit him, screamed at him that he'd never understand what it meant to have these nightmares, this pain and trauma, to lose your name, your identity, to watch your brother be taken by a monster and be hunted by it, he'd stayed with her. He'd shared some of his own and assured her that even if he couldn't know exactly what had happened to her, he understood her pain.

'He's been so good to me. Even when I didn't deserve it.' She gripped and tugged at the pearls again. His kindness had moved her, yes, but it was its persistence, its unconditional status, his genuine care that had one day made things... change. She'd dropped her rigidity and distant nature, often ribbing him when given the chance. She'd noticed he was quite handsome and well-built, and it sometimes created a strange, foreign feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd found the blush that would creep over his face when she wore her shorts or swimsuit flattering rather than annoying, and more than that... she felt sad when those things were gone. Whenever he was away, she felt lonely, only for a genuine happiness to well back up when he'd return.

18 tugged a few more times as she sighed. "There's no getting around it. I have to tell him-"

"Tell me what?"

18's eyes widened at the unexpected sound, and jumped a bit, causing her to tug a bit too hard on the string of pearls as they fell away with a snap. She gasped as they hit the sand, one by one, some of them disappearing even as an audibly distressed Krillin rushed to collect them, apologizing profusely.

"Nonono, God I am SO sorry, 18. I didn't mean to scare you." 18 rubbed her temples for a moment and breathed deeply.

"It's ok. Really. It was just an old necklace I picked up somewhere." She looked down to see Krillin still scurrying around the beach, his black trunks coated with sand. "K-Krillin, it's fine."

"B-but..." he sighed and stood, brushing off sand. "I'm sorry, 18. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that. I know you don't like it when people do tha-" he was silenced by a finger on his lips.

"I told you, it's fine. Now will you let me get a word in?" He nodded silently. "Finally. Damn."

She placed her hands on his bare shoulders and took in a breath. "I'm... not really sure how to say this, but..." She looked him in the eyes, trying to hide her nerves. "We've been friends for a couple of years now, and... it's been great, yeah?"

He nodded and smiled and she had to push the butterflies back down to continue. "Better than great, really. I mean, we have fun together, we hang out all the time, sure, and it means so much to me that we do that, keep doing that."

"Well yeah." he grinned at her. "You're my best friend, 18. I'd never take that for granted."

18 swallowed hard. "But..." She saw Krillin's eyes widen and a slight fear creep in. "No, nothing bad, I just..." she sighed. "I want... more."

Krillin cocked his head slightly and arched an eyebrow. "More? More time?" He chuckled. "We already spend practically all day together. You want nights now too?"

18 hung her head between her arms, a vein threatening to pop. "You can be so dense sometimes..." She raised her head up to look him in the eye once more. "What I'm trying to say is I like you, you little goon!" She averted her eyes and her voice softened. "I like you a lot, ok? More than I ever thought I would."

Krillin smiled again and patted the top of her head. "Well I like you a lot too, 18. That's why we're friends, ain't it?"

18's arms fell to her sides and she stood, silent. She wasn't quite sure what to call this new feeling washing over her; a mix of frustration, hurt, anger, and a deep sadness welled up inside her gut. Her fists clenched instinctively and she took a shaky breath.

"You... IDIOT."

Krillin's eyes went wide and he took a step back, hands up in defense. "Wait, what- 18 why are you crying? What's wrong? What'd I do?"

"What did you DO? I just confessed my deepest feelings to you and you act like it's some kind of joke?!" She stomped a foot into the sand. "If you weren't interested in me like that, you could have just said so!"

Krillin's hands slowly dropped. "Wait... interested like...what?" His voice grew quiet. "You mean you weren't talking about staying friends?"

18 smacked her forehead. "God, yes, octopus head, of course I want to be friends still, I just... I want something more than that!" She threw her hands up. "I want hand-holding, kisses, I wanna cuddle under the stupid blanket when we watch movies, I wanna go on dates with you. Real ones! Not these dumb 'shopping dates' or whatever they're called!" She started toward the house. "God I feel like such a damn fool..."

"18, wait!" A hand reached out and grabbed hers and she stopped, rigid. She wanted to fight, to hit him, to run away, but something about that hand and the urgency with which it had grabbed hers compelled her to listen. "I'm... I'm an even bigger moron than I thought, aren't I?"

She scoffed. "Won't get no argument from me."

He frowned. "I'm sorry, 18. It's just... I mean, I'm... me. Y'know?"She spared him a glance over her shoulder. "I mean, I'm just... I never thought anyone would be interested in me like that, especially not someone like you."

She shook his hand from hers and turned around. "Why? Too cold? Too mean? Not human enough?"

"Hey, that's not fair and you know it. Dammit, you know I don't think that way about you!" Krillin's voice was shaky now, his eyes fighting back tears of their own. "It's because you're amazing, ok? You-you're so beautiful, so elegant... you've got the most beautiful smile, the most perfect laugh..."

18 felt her face flush and that previous feeling begin to subside. "Pfft, then what's the problem?"

"It's me." Krillin's hands were visibly shaking now, and 18 noticed he was avoiding eye contact. "I mean... look at me. I'm not cool, I'm not the strongest... I'm not what people consider attractive... I know I have my issues and quirks that can be annoying, too much of my own baggage." He took a deep, shuddering breath and finally looked her in the eye, tears flowing freely. "I was so lucky someone like you even wanted me for a friend. I didn't wanna risk that. So when you told me that, I just assumed... I thought you were trying to let me down easy, y'know? Preemptively turn me down before I asked." He hung his head again.

"I never once thought anyone could care for me like that, and I... I guess I let that fear keep me from asking if that's what you wanted. And I'm sor-" Krillin found himself cut short as his face was smashed firmly into 18's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around him in a hug.

"It's ok," she whispered. "I was scared too. I'm sorry." She pulled back to look him in the eye once more. "I just want you with me so much. I want to be with you so much..." she smiled and pecked him on the cheek.

Krillin flushed crimson and smiled through his tears. "S-so does that mean you're asking me to be your boyfriend?"

18 rolled her eyes a bit and nodded. "Yeah," she laughed. "I guess I am."

Krillin beamed. "Well then, who am I to say no?" he laughed. "Besides, it's not often you get to date your best friend."

She slipped her hand in his. "C'mon, shorty. It's getting cold and there's a blanket with our name on it inside."

"Awesome." They made their way toward the door. "Say... will there be kisses involved with this."

18 smiled and feigned disinterest. "Oh I dunno. Mayyybe... if you play your cards ri-woah! Slow up!"

"Hell yeah!"


End file.
